by Sharon Maeda
In a historic decision, Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has announced his choice for a running mate: California Senator Kamala Harris.
Continue reading Local Women of Color Respond to Vice Presidential Choice: Kamala HarrisWe are independent news organizations, editors, reporters, photojournalists, and freelancers working in Seattle, and we are coming together to oppose the Seattle Police Department’s subpoena seeking unpublished photographs and video taken by journalists at the Seattle Times, KIRO 7, KING 5, KOMO 4, and KCPQ 13.
This is not the Trump Administration pursuing these subpoenas. It is the Seattle Police Department, charged with serving and protecting our city. Those duties should include protecting our free press rights.
Continue reading OPINION: Seattle Independent Journalists Stand Together to Oppose SPD’s Subpoenaby Erica C. Barnett
(Updated at 12:58pm on 8/11/20)
(This article originally appeared on The C is for Crank and has been reprinted with permission.)
Advocates for an immediate 50% cut to the Seattle Police Department’s budget may have walked away unsatisfied Monday evening, when the City Council passed a midyear budget package that lopped just 7% off SPD’s remaining 2020 budget. But the Council majority left no question that they consider the short-term cuts a down payment on a more substantive proposal next year — one that, importantly, has a shot of making it through labor negotiations with the powerful police officers’ union.
In a surprising turn, Seattle’s Police Chief Carmen Best will announce her retirement on Tuesday in the wake of the Council’s decision. This was confirmed with multiple sources including the mayor’s office. The C is for Crank was also able to obtain a copy of Chief Best’s letter to SPD announcing her departure on September 2.
Continue reading Seattle Council Takes a Small Bite Out of Police Budget, Chief Best Will Retireby Ben Adlin
Washington is set to become just the second U.S. state to send coronavirus aid to undocumented residents, who so far have been excluded from federal relief packages. Advocates announced on Monday that the state will soon launch a $40 million worker relief fund to send one-time cash payments directly to undocumented workers.
The funding is less than half of the $100 million relief package requested in recent months by a coalition of more than 230 local organizations. Leaders on Monday described the new fund as a major victory but added that more relief will be necessary to help stabilize Washington’s undocumented population of nearly 230,000 people.
Continue reading Washington Earmarks $40M for Undocumented Workers Excluded From Federal Aidby Emerald Staff
On Monday, Seattle’s Budget Office released some dire economic forecasts and revenue projections, which showed an additional $26 million reduction to the City’s 2020 General Fund revenue, relative to the June forecast, and is now projecting a total 2020 General Fund revenues of $1.19 billion, down from the adopted 2020 budget of $1.5 billion.
The Budget Office says that when combined with the loss of other revenue streams that support a variety of basic municipal services, it now anticipates $337 million less revenue, when compared to the 2020 Adopted Budget. This represents a revenue shortfall of 19%.
Continue reading Seattle Budget Office’s Economic Forecast Highlights Continued City Revenue Decline in 2020 and 2021by Mark Van Streefkerk
In response to the ongoing call for accountability for Artist Trust by a majority-WOC jury panel and the greater arts community, Artist Trust issued a public apology on Wednesday, August 5. But the panelists say that’s just the beginning of what needs to be done. Continue reading Artist Trust Issues Public Apology And Reinstates Original Panel-Selected Finalists For The 2020 Arts Innovator Award
by Susan Fried (words and photos)
Hundreds of people gathered in the parking lot of Catfish Corner Express in Skyway on Saturday, Aug. 9 for the Second Annual Afro Bite. Attendees sampled food from an assortment of Black-owned restaurants including the Mac Shack, Elotes Custom Corn, Heaven’s Kitchen, and of course, Seattle’s famous Catfish Corner. In addition to food, several Black-owned businesses also sold apparel, skin products, jewelry, books, and face masks. Continue reading Photo Essay: Second Annual Afro Bite in Skyway
by Erica C. Barnett
(This article originally appeared on The C is for Crank and has been reprinted with permission)
On Monday, the Seattle City Council will take its most definitive action yet to eliminate the Navigation Team—a group of police, litter removal workers, and outreach staff that removes encampments from public places—by voting on a mid-year package of budget cuts that eliminates funding for the program. But the ultimate fate of the team will lie with Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best, who have the final say over departmental spending. Continue reading Ending the Navigation Team Isn’t As Easy As Just Cutting Their Budget
by Brett Hamil
Brett Hamil is a writer, cartoonist and performer living on the South End of Seattle. He produces the weekly comedy show Joketellers Union and the political comedy talk show The Seattle Process. The Seattle Weekly (RIP) once called him “the city’s premier political comic.”
by Elizabeth Turnbull
On Friday, the City of Seattle opened a COVID-19 testing site in the parking lot of Rainier Beach High School, in an attempt to make testing more available to Seattleites in zip codes where the City has found residents to be at higher risk for the virus. Continue reading New COVID-19 Testing Site Opens In Rainier Beach
